Sorrento Writers Festival Ticketing System

Aarti Betigeri

Migration Stories In The Round: How human journeys impact storytelling
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Museum
Is Australia a Racist Country?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall
My Life and India: A conversation about the nation, its people and its great diaspora
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Adele Ferguson

Inside The Boardroom: Who is running our corporate world and are they up to the job?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Shining Light In Dark Corners: Is investigative journalism an endangered species?
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Ailsa Piper

A Writer’s Life
Wednesday April 23 2.00pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
How A Faraway Place Inspired My Story: Exploring the importance of setting
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Barefoot Bowls and Read Out Loud: Our speakers read and recite some of their favourite passages, poems, speeches and soliloquies
Friday April 25 5.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Writing About Me: How hard was that, anyway?
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Alan Kohler

The DEI Dilemma: How corporate Australia might handle the backlash
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Great Australian Nightmare: Housing in crisis
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Alexander Edward Gilly

Art Stream (2): My Family and Art
Thursday April 24 10.30am
The Continental
Up Close and Personal: The trials and triumphs of writing biography
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Media Moguls, The Old And The New
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Alice Zaslavsky

The Art Of The Cookbook
Sunday April 27 9.15am
The Continental

Alison Lester

A Child’s Life
Wednesday April 23 11.30am
Sorrento Portsea RSL
All Fired Up: How books change children’s lives
Thursday April 24 9.00am
The Continental
65 Years Since Green Eggs and Ham: And other children’s classics we love
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Amanda Smith

1975 Then, Now and Beyond 50 Years of Feminism in Australia
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Elon, AI, No Boundaries, No Truth. Where To For The Media?
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
The Continental

Amanda Walton

Nature, My Great Escape: Tales of growing, re-wilding and rejuvenating
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Andrew Knight

Telling Australian Stories Via The Big and Little Screen
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
The Continental
Yeah, Nah, Just Joking, Mate: Are Australians as eloquent and hilarious as we think?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Between Us: Andrew Knight and Steve Vizard
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
The Continental

Andrew Ford

Words & Music Act 1: The Voice in Music
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental
The History Of Music In 256 Pages
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Words & Music Act 2: Countdown, 50 Years
Saturday April 26 6.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Who’s Better: Bach or Mozart - and other ridiculous musical provocations
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Andrew Rule

Drinks With The Sportswriters
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
The Continental
Between Us: Andrew Rule and John Silvester
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
The Continental

Anita Heiss

Walking Together: The potential of First Nations culture to enhance our lives
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Come Together: How books can create connections between black and white Australia
Friday April 25 1.00pm
The Continental
When The Past Invades Our Present: Three novelists discuss their style of historical fiction writing
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Anna Walker

A Child’s Life
Wednesday April 23 11.30am
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Books v Screens: The Great Parenting Challenge
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Anne Summers

The Whitlam Legacy, 1975: Why Australia was never the same again
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
In Conversation: Anne Summers
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
1975 Then, Now and Beyond 50 Years of Feminism in Australia
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Stop Hurting Women: Enough is enough
Sunday April 27 10.30am
The Continental

Annie Smithers

A Cook's Life
Wednesday April 23 12.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Between Us: Annie Smithers & Virginia Trioli
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Community Centre
Kitchen Controversial: Why restaurant life is not for the faint-hearted
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
The Continental

Annie Lawson

Lust, Love and the Whole Courtship Thing: Publishing’s gift that keeps on giving
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Let’s Talk Love: Diving into the heart of fiction
Saturday April 26 6.00pm
The Continental

Anthony Sharwood

The Ghosts Are Here: First Nations perspectives on European explorers
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Grey Nomads On Tour: And other reasons to discover Australia
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
What I Learned: Three biographers explain the impact of writing another person’s life story
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
The Continental
Nature, My Great Escape: Tales of growing, re-wilding and rejuvenating
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Barrie Cassidy

The Political Lunch
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
The Baths Sorrento
1975: The Dismissal: The moment Australian politics changed forever
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Community Centre
Dear Prime Minister, What Are You Scared Of?: How social media and other technologies are undermining democracies
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Barry Jones

The Morning Feed
Thursday April 24 8.00am
The Continental
Shakespeare Unpacked: Act 1
Thursday April 24 9.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
In Conversation: Barry Jones
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
The Continental
1975: The Dismissal: The moment Australian politics changed forever
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Community Centre
Who’s Better: Bach or Mozart - and other ridiculous musical provocations
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Enter The Strongman: How and why has authoritarianism become popular again?
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
The Continental

Belinda Alexandra

World War Fiction: For novelists, It’s an ongoing rich and dramatic landscape
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Lust, Love and the Whole Courtship Thing: Publishing’s gift that keeps on giving
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Ben Shewry

A Cook's Life
Wednesday April 23 12.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
In Conversation: Ben Shewry
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Kitchen Controversial: Why restaurant life is not for the faint-hearted
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
The Continental

Brendan Donohoe

In Conversation: Richard N Haass
Thursday April 24 8.00am
The Continental
In Conversation: Joe Aston
Saturday April 26 9.00am
The Continental
Enter The Strongman: How and why has authoritarianism become popular again?
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
The Continental

Bruce Wolpe

How To Handle Europe, and Other Urgent World Issues
Friday April 25 4.00pm
The Continental
The First 100 Days: Donald Trump’s second presidency
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
The Continental
Where To, America? (Or, How Gaga is MAGA?)
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Cameron Stewart

In Conversation: Josh Frydenberg
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
The Continental

Caroline Lee

The Greer Effect: A read-through of Vanessa O’Neill’s play-in-progress
Saturday April 26 4.45pm
The Continental

Caroline Parker

Healing Power of Nature
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Museum

Caroline Wilson

Don’t Shoot The Messenger: Live Podcast
Wednesday April 23 5.00pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Food As Solace: How cooking helps me through the bad times and the good
Friday April 25 2.30pm
The Continental
The Evening Feed & Drinks With The Journos
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental

Catherine Fox

What’s Your Agenda, Mark Zuckerberg?: Masculine energy, manarchy culture, and aggression in the workplace
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
1975 Then, Now and Beyond 50 Years of Feminism in Australia
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
The DEI Dilemma: How corporate Australia might handle the backlash
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Celia Hirsh

In Conversation: Robbie Arnott
Thursday April 24 9.00am
The Continental
Kitchen Controversial: Why restaurant life is not for the faint-hearted
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
The Continental
From Lamingtons to Legacy: AWW’s Culinary Influence
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
The Art Of The Cookbook
Sunday April 27 9.15am
The Continental

Charlotte Guest

Why We Love A Strong Woman Story
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
It Takes A Village: The role of small-town communities in fiction
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Chris Hammer

A Writer’s Life
Wednesday April 23 2.00pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
My Australian Landscape
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Drinks With The Crime Writers
Thursday April 24 6.00pm
The Continental
Bad Guys I Have Known: Murder mysteries and how to write them
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Museum

Christabel Blackman

Art Stream (2): My Family and Art
Thursday April 24 10.30am
The Continental
Meet My Family: Memoir writers discuss how their own tribe’s story became a good book
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Christian White

You Can Be In My Gang: Exploring the powerful dynamic of friendship groups in fiction
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall
The Good, The Bad And The Seriously Disturbed: How to create memorable characters
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall
Drinks With The Crime Writers
Thursday April 24 6.00pm
The Continental
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Museum
From Podcast To Platform: Exploring new ways to tell stories today
Saturday April 26 6.00pm
The Continental

Christine Keighery

You Can Be In My Gang: Exploring the powerful dynamic of friendship groups in fiction
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall

Clara Tuite

Barefoot Bowls and Read Out Loud: Our speakers read and recite some of their favourite passages, poems, speeches and soliloquies
Friday April 25 5.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Breakfast With Jane Austen - On Her 250th Birthday
Saturday April 26 8.00am
The Continental

Clive Smith

Bunurong On The Peninsula - From the Beginning of Time
Wednesday April 23 5.00pm
Sorrento Museum
Limeburners, Convicts, Drunkenness and Death: Point Nepean 1835-40
Friday April 25 5.00pm
Sorrento Museum
Origins - Mornington Peninsula - In Photographs: A look back at our region’s early days
Saturday April 26 3.30pm
Sorrento Museum
The Great Land Grab, George Coppin, Father Of Sorrento - Or Was He?
Saturday April 26 5.00pm
Sorrento Museum

Corrie Perkin

A Cook's Life
Wednesday April 23 12.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Don’t Shoot The Messenger: Live Podcast
Wednesday April 23 5.00pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Media Moguls, The Old And The New
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Drinks With The Publishers
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
The Evening Feed & Drinks With The Journos
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental
Island of My Mind: The role of Flinders Island in my writing
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Bowls Club
The First 100 Days: Donald Trump’s second presidency
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
The Continental

Craig Cormick

The Ghosts Are Here: First Nations perspectives on European explorers
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Walking Together: The potential of First Nations culture to enhance our lives
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Darren Rix

The Ghosts Are Here: First Nations perspectives on European explorers
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Walking Together: The potential of First Nations culture to enhance our lives
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Dave Witty

I Talk To The Trees: In praise of nature’s enduring force
Friday April 25 2.30pm
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Sorrento

David Leser

Your Life, My Words: The art of telling someone else’s story
Friday April 25 4.00pm
The Continental
In Conversation: Helen Garner
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Community Centre
Are Aussie Men Okay With Women?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
In Conversation: Robert Dessaix
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall

David Marr

The Evening Feed & Drinks With The Journos
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental
In Conversation: David Marr
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Simmer Down: The role of civilised conversations in a healthy democracy
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
The Continental
Australian Writing, From Where I Sit
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Deborah Thomas

From Lamingtons to Legacy: AWW’s Culinary Influence
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Dennis Glover

Does History Repeat?: (And if so, should we be nervous?)
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Outside The Box: Why our writers like to experiment and play with form
Saturday April 26 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Where Is All The Big-Picture Thinking? Talking political leadership, visionary policy and new ideas
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Enter The Strongman: How and why has authoritarianism become popular again?
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
The Continental

Dervla McTiernan

From Laptop To International Bestseller
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
In Conversation: Dervla McTiernan
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Unlikely Hero: From the flawed to the failed to the fluke, these characters give thrillers their spark
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Craft of Murder
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
The Continental

Di Morrissey

In Conversation: Di Morrissey
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
The Continental

Don Watson

Does History Repeat?: (And if so, should we be nervous?)
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Dear Prime Minister, What Are You Scared Of?: How social media and other technologies are undermining democracies
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall
The First 100 Days: Donald Trump’s second presidency
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
The Continental
Yeah, Nah, Just Joking, Mate: Are Australians as eloquent and hilarious as we think?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Telling the Truth About Australia’s History
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Emily Maguire

The Good, The Bad And The Seriously Disturbed: How to create memorable characters
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall
Re-Imagining The Past: How I found my historical novel
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Emma Shortis

2025: The Year The World Goes Nuts: What does our global landscape look like in 2025?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
The Continental
The First 100 Days: Donald Trump’s second presidency
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
The Continental
The Morning Feed
Sunday April 27 8.00am
The Continental

Eric Beecher

Media Moguls, The Old And The New
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
If Rupert Dies, What Next? The Future of News Ltd and the great dynasty crisis
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Elon, AI, No Boundaries, No Truth. Where To For The Media?
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
The Continental

Erik Jensen

If Rupert Dies, What Next? The Future of News Ltd and the great dynasty crisis
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Is Australia a Racist Country?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall
Writers On Non-Fiction Writing
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Finegan Kruckemeyer

Writers On Writing
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Barefoot Bowls and Read Out Loud: Our speakers read and recite some of their favourite passages, poems, speeches and soliloquies
Friday April 25 5.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Imagination On Steroids: Speculative fiction, magic realism, fantasy and imaginary worlds in fiction.
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Fiona Brockhoff

Grey Nomads On Tour: And other reasons to discover Australia
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
I Grow, I Cook, I Eat: In praise of the veggie patch
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Fiona Gruber

Art Stream (1): In Conversation: Patrick McCaughey
Thursday April 24 8.00am
The Continental
In Conversation: Di Morrissey
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
The Continental
Drinks With The Crime Writers
Thursday April 24 6.00pm
The Continental
In Conversation: Michelle de Kretser
Friday April 25 1.00pm
The Continental
Outside The Box: Why our writers like to experiment and play with form
Saturday April 26 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Francesca Carter

All Fired Up: How books change children’s lives
Thursday April 24 9.00am
The Continental

Frank Bongiorno

Our Political Parties: Where to from here?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
The Continental
Where Is All The Big-Picture Thinking? Talking political leadership, visionary policy and new ideas
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Gail Holmes

Shakespeare Unpacked: Act 1
Thursday April 24 9.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
My First Book 2: Three new writers discuss their work practice, their stories, and their lucky break
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

George Megalogenis

The Political Lunch
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
The Baths Sorrento
It’s About The Optics, Stupid: Unpacking the 2025 Election
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre
When and Why Did Climate Fall Off The Election Agenda?
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall

Geraldine Brooks

Island of My Mind: The role of Flinders Island in my writing
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Bowls Club
In Conversation: Geraldine Brooks
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Community Centre
Where To, America? (Or, How Gaga is MAGA?)
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Gideon Haigh

Drinks With The Sportswriters
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
The Continental
Writing Memoir: The art of the autobiography
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
My Life and India: A conversation about the nation, its people and its great diaspora
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Gina Chick

Smooth Runs The Water: The impact of swimming, surfing, waves and coastlines on my writing
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Portsea RSL
In Conversation: Gina Chick
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Grantlee Kieza

Up Close and Personal: The trials and triumphs of writing biography
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Your Life, My Words: The art of telling someone else’s story
Friday April 25 4.00pm
The Continental
In Conversation: Grantlee Kieza
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall

Greg Sheridan

Spreading the Word: The role of books in faith
Friday April 25 1.00pm
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Sorrento
How To Handle Europe, and Other Urgent World Issues
Friday April 25 4.00pm
The Continental
2025: The Year The World Goes Nuts: What does our global landscape look like in 2025?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
The Continental

Guy Mirabella

The Art Of The Cookbook
Sunday April 27 9.15am
The Continental

Hannie Rayson

Art Stream (2): My Family and Art
Thursday April 24 10.30am
The Continental
Dear Son: Talking about fatherhood, families and raising boys
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
I Wrote A Bestseller – And Then What?
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Writing About Me: How hard was that, anyway?
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Telling Australian Stories Via The Big and Little Screen
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
The Continental
The Greer Effect: A read-through of Vanessa O’Neill’s play-in-progress
Saturday April 26 4.45pm
The Continental

Heather Ewart

In Conversation: Peter FitzSimons
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Sorrento Community Centre
Grey Nomads On Tour: And other reasons to discover Australia
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
In Conversation: John Lyons
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Community Centre

Helen Ennis

Art Stream (4): Max Dupain in Focus
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
The Continental
What I Learned: Three biographers explain the impact of writing another person’s life story
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
The Continental

Helen Garner

In Conversation: Helen Garner
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Community Centre

Henry Rosenbloom

The Whitlam Legacy, 1975: Why Australia was never the same again
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Hilde Hinton

Ta Da! Introducing, Our New Books
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Inala Cooper

Walking Together: The potential of First Nations culture to enhance our lives
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Come Together: How books can create connections between black and white Australia
Friday April 25 1.00pm
The Continental
When The Past Invades Our Present: Three novelists discuss their style of historical fiction writing
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Between Us: Stan Grant and Marcia Langton
Saturday April 26 10.30am
The Continental
Reimagining Australia: How to make this next quarter of the 21st Century really matter
Sunday April 27 10.30am
The Continental
Telling the Truth About Australia’s History
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Inga Simpson

I Talk To The Trees: In praise of nature’s enduring force
Friday April 25 2.30pm
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Sorrento
Healing Power of Nature
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Museum
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Irma Gold

How A Faraway Place Inspired My Story: Exploring the importance of setting
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
It Takes A Village: The role of small-town communities in fiction
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Writers On Writing
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Isaiah Firebrace

Dear Son: Talking about fatherhood, families and raising boys
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Isobelle Carmody

Imagination On Steroids: Speculative fiction, magic realism, fantasy and imaginary worlds in fiction.
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Izabella Yena

The Greer Effect: A read-through of Vanessa O’Neill’s play-in-progress
Saturday April 26 4.45pm
The Continental

JP Pomare

I Wrote A Bestseller – And Then What?
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Unlikely Hero: From the flawed to the failed to the fluke, these characters give thrillers their spark
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Craft of Murder
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
The Continental

Jaclyn Crupi

A Writer’s Life
Wednesday April 23 2.00pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
In Conversation: Ben Shewry
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Up Close and Personal: The trials and triumphs of writing biography
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
In Conversation: Grantlee Kieza
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall
Ta Da! Introducing, Our New Books
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
From Mashed Peas to Smashed Peas: How Australian family food has evolved in 50 years
Saturday April 26 10.30am
The Continental
I Grow, I Cook, I Eat: In praise of the veggie patch
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Jane Godwin

A Child’s Life
Wednesday April 23 11.30am
Sorrento Portsea RSL
All Fired Up: How books change children’s lives
Thursday April 24 9.00am
The Continental
Books v Screens: The Great Parenting Challenge
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Jane Hone

Meet My Family: Memoir writers discuss how their own tribe’s story became a good book
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Nature, My Great Escape: Tales of growing, re-wilding and rejuvenating
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Story Slam with Jane Hone
Friday April 25 7.00pm
The Continental
Smooth Runs The Water: The impact of swimming, surfing, waves and coastlines on my writing
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Portsea RSL
The Art of Planting Beautifully
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Bowls Club

Jane Montgomery Griffiths

Shakespeare Unpacked: Act 1
Thursday April 24 9.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Shakespeare Unpacked: Act 2
Thursday April 24 10.45am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
What I Learned: Three biographers explain the impact of writing another person’s life story
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
The Continental
Barefoot Bowls and Read Out Loud: Our speakers read and recite some of their favourite passages, poems, speeches and soliloquies
Friday April 25 5.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Breakfast With The Bard: The Political Plays, and what would Shakespeare think about Albo, Dutton and The Donald?
Sunday April 27 8.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club

Jane Yang

My First Book 2: Three new writers discuss their work practice, their stories, and their lucky break
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Re-Imagining The Past: How I found my historical novel
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Jason Steger

In Conversation: Stan Grant
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
In Conversation: Sir Ian Rankin
Friday April 25 7.00pm
The Continental
Nothing Personal: How to imagine characters who are not like you (or your mum, or your boss, or your best friend)
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Writing Memoir: The art of the autobiography
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Australian Writing, From Where I Sit
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Jayne Tuttle

The Good, The Bad And The Seriously Disturbed: How to create memorable characters
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall
Books v Screens: The Great Parenting Challenge
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Jenny Hocking

The Whitlam Legacy, 1975: Why Australia was never the same again
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
1975: The Dismissal: The moment Australian politics changed forever
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Community Centre

Jess Armstrong

It Started With A Dot: Understanding melanoma and other cancer stories
Friday April 25 2.30pm
The Continental

Jess Sanders

65 Years Since Green Eggs and Ham: And other children’s classics we love
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Why Are Our Kids Anxious?: And Other Perplexing Parenting Issues
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Jessica Stanley

Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Let’s Talk Love: Diving into the heart of fiction
Saturday April 26 6.00pm
The Continental
My New Book 2: Writers discuss their latest novels, and the journey from idea to bookstore
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Jo Dyer

The Next Gen: Meet our hottest new writers
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Are Aussie Men Okay With Women?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Our Political Parties: Where to from here?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
The Continental

Jock Serong

My Australian Landscape
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Sometimes My Imagination Just Runs Away…
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Island of My Mind: The role of Flinders Island in my writing
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Outside The Box: Why our writers like to experiment and play with form
Saturday April 26 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Smooth Runs The Water: The impact of swimming, surfing, waves and coastlines on my writing
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Joe Aston

In Conversation: Joe Aston
Saturday April 26 9.00am
The Continental
Inside The Boardroom: Who is running our corporate world and are they up to the job?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Joelle Gergis

Healing Power of Nature
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Museum
When and Why Did Climate Fall Off The Election Agenda?
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall
Reimagining Australia: How to make this next quarter of the 21st Century really matter
Sunday April 27 10.30am
The Continental
Mother Nature – and Why She Needs Our Help
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall

John Lyons

How To Handle Europe, and Other Urgent World Issues
Friday April 25 4.00pm
The Continental
The Morning Feed
Saturday April 26 8.00am
The Continental
2025: The Year The World Goes Nuts: What does our global landscape look like in 2025?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
The Continental
In Conversation: John Lyons
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Community Centre

John Silvester

The Evening Feed & Drinks With The Journos
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental
Shining Light In Dark Corners: Is investigative journalism an endangered species?
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Stop Hurting Women: Enough is enough
Sunday April 27 10.30am
The Continental
Between Us: Andrew Rule and John Silvester
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
The Continental

Jonathan Green

Healing Power of Nature
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Museum
When and Why Did Climate Fall Off The Election Agenda?
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall
Between Us: Andrew Knight and Steve Vizard
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
The Continental

Jonty Claypole

The Great Gatsby 100 Years On: Is it the great American novel?
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Barefoot Bowls and Read Out Loud: Our speakers read and recite some of their favourite passages, poems, speeches and soliloquies
Friday April 25 5.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Breakfast With Jane Austen - On Her 250th Birthday
Saturday April 26 8.00am
The Continental
Let’s Talk Love: Diving into the heart of fiction
Saturday April 26 6.00pm
The Continental
Breakfast With The Bard: The Political Plays, and what would Shakespeare think about Albo, Dutton and The Donald?
Sunday April 27 8.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club

Josh Bornstein

What’s Your Agenda, Mark Zuckerberg?: Masculine energy, manarchy culture, and aggression in the workplace
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Josh Frydenberg

In Conversation: Josh Frydenberg
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
The Continental

Judith Brett

A Biographer’s Life
Wednesday April 23 3.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Does History Repeat?: (And if so, should we be nervous?)
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Bowls Club
What I Learned: Three biographers explain the impact of writing another person’s life story
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
The Continental

Judith Ryan

Art Stream (3): After 65,000 Years, Forever New Indigenous art and its impact
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
The Continental

Julia Baird

Your Life, My Words: The art of telling someone else’s story
Friday April 25 4.00pm
The Continental
From Podcast To Platform: Exploring new ways to tell stories today
Saturday April 26 6.00pm
The Continental
Smooth Runs The Water: The impact of swimming, surfing, waves and coastlines on my writing
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Writing Memoir: The art of the autobiography
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Julia Busuttil-Nishimura

Food As Solace: How cooking helps me through the bad times and the good
Friday April 25 2.30pm
The Continental
From Mashed Peas to Smashed Peas: How Australian family food has evolved in 50 years
Saturday April 26 10.30am
The Continental

Julia Gillard

The Barry Jones Oration: by Julia Gillard
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
The Continental

Julianne Schultz

It’s About The Optics, Stupid: Unpacking the 2025 Election
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre
The Morning Feed
Saturday April 26 8.00am
The Continental
Is Australia a Racist Country?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall
Enter The Strongman: How and why has authoritarianism become popular again?
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
The Continental

Jumaana Abdu

The Next Gen: Meet our hottest new writers
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Migration Stories In The Round: How human journeys impact storytelling
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Museum
Nothing Personal: How to imagine characters who are not like you (or your mum, or your boss, or your best friend)
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Museum

Karen Inge

I’m Still Here: Getting to 90 – and knowing you're 90
Saturday April 26 9.00am
The Continental

Karen Martini

Kitchen Controversial: Why restaurant life is not for the faint-hearted
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
The Continental
Food As Solace: How cooking helps me through the bad times and the good
Friday April 25 2.30pm
The Continental

Kate Fitz-Gibbon

Are Aussie Men Okay With Women?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Stop Hurting Women: Enough is enough
Sunday April 27 10.30am
The Continental

Kate Grenville

In Conversation: Kate Grenville
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
The Continental
Writing Memoir: The art of the autobiography
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Australian Writing, From Where I Sit
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Kate Mildenhall

65 Years Since Green Eggs and Ham: And other children’s classics we love
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Katrina Strickland

Between Us: Annie Smithers & Virginia Trioli
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Community Centre
Art Stream (3): After 65,000 Years, Forever New Indigenous art and its impact
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
The Continental
Writers On Non-Fiction Writing
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Kerry O'Brien

In Conversation: Kim Williams
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
1975: The Dismissal: The moment Australian politics changed forever
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Community Centre
Between Us: Thomas Mayo and Kerry O’Brien
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
The Continental

Kevin Bell

The Great Australian Nightmare: Housing in crisis
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Kim Carr

Writing About Me: How hard was that, anyway?
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club
Our Political Parties: Where to from here?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
The Continental
Where Is All The Big-Picture Thinking? Talking political leadership, visionary policy and new ideas
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Kim Williams

In Conversation: Kim Williams
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Words & Music Act 1: The Voice in Music
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental

Kirsten Alexander

You Can Be In My Gang: Exploring the powerful dynamic of friendship groups in fiction
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall

Kylie Ladd

Ta Da! Introducing, Our New Books
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
All In The Family: Some of fiction’s best plots happen under the one roof
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Kylie Mirmohamadi

Why We Love A Strong Woman Story
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Writers On Writing
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Laura Macdonald

A Child’s Life
Wednesday April 23 11.30am
Sorrento Portsea RSL
You Can Be In My Gang: Exploring the powerful dynamic of friendship groups in fiction
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall
Spreading the Word: The role of books in faith
Friday April 25 1.00pm
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Sorrento
Telling Australian Stories Via The Big and Little Screen
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
The Continental
My New Book 2: Writers discuss their latest novels, and the journey from idea to bookstore
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Laura McCluskey

My New Book 1: Three new writers discuss their work practice, their stories, and their lucky break
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
It Takes A Village: The role of small-town communities in fiction
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Lauren Samuelsson

From Mashed Peas to Smashed Peas: How Australian family food has evolved in 50 years
Saturday April 26 10.30am
The Continental
From Lamingtons to Legacy: AWW’s Culinary Influence
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Lech Blaine

Meet My Family: Memoir writers discuss how their own tribe’s story became a good book
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
I Wrote A Bestseller – And Then What?
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Writing About Me: How hard was that, anyway?
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club

Libbi Gorr

Words & Music Act 1: The Voice in Music
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental
From Podcast To Platform: Exploring new ways to tell stories today
Saturday April 26 6.00pm
The Continental
Yeah, Nah, Just Joking, Mate: Are Australians as eloquent and hilarious as we think?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club
The Great Australian Nightmare: Housing in crisis
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Liz Porter

From Laptop To International Bestseller
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Unlikely Hero: From the flawed to the failed to the fluke, these characters give thrillers their spark
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Louise Siversen

The Greer Effect: A read-through of Vanessa O’Neill’s play-in-progress
Saturday April 26 4.45pm
The Continental

Luke Horton

Our Modern World, In My Book
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Next Gen: Meet our hottest new writers
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Writers On Writing
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Madeleine Cleary

My First Book 2: Three new writers discuss their work practice, their stories, and their lucky break
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Madeleine Grummet

If Rupert Dies, What Next? The Future of News Ltd and the great dynasty crisis
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
The DEI Dilemma: How corporate Australia might handle the backlash
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Mother Nature – and Why She Needs Our Help
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Madeleine Ryan

Our Modern World, In My Book
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Next Gen: Meet our hottest new writers
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Malcolm Knox

Re-Imagining The Past: How I found my historical novel
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Sometimes My Imagination Just Runs Away…
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
When The Past Invades Our Present: Three novelists discuss their style of historical fiction writing
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Marcia Langton

Art Stream (3): After 65,000 Years, Forever New Indigenous art and its impact
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
The Continental
Between Us: Stan Grant and Marcia Langton
Saturday April 26 10.30am
The Continental

Margo Neale

Art Stream (3): After 65,000 Years, Forever New Indigenous art and its impact
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
The Continental
Walking Together: The potential of First Nations culture to enhance our lives
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Come Together: How books can create connections between black and white Australia
Friday April 25 1.00pm
The Continental

Marion Taffe

Imagination On Steroids: Speculative fiction, magic realism, fantasy and imaginary worlds in fiction.
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
From Newsroom To Bookshelf
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Mark Smith

Bad Guys I Have Known: Murder mysteries and how to write them
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Museum

Mel Fulton

My First Book 2: Three new writers discuss their work practice, their stories, and their lucky break
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Re-Imagining The Past: How I found my historical novel
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Melanie Cheng

Our Modern World, In My Book
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Migration Stories In The Round: How human journeys impact storytelling
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Museum
Sometimes My Imagination Just Runs Away…
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Michael Shmith

Art Stream (4): Max Dupain in Focus
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
The Continental
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The History Of Music In 256 Pages
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Michael Brissenden

Nothing Personal: How to imagine characters who are not like you (or your mum, or your boss, or your best friend)
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
From Newsroom To Bookshelf
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Craft of Murder
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
The Continental

Michael Cathcart

Shakespeare Unpacked: Act 1
Thursday April 24 9.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Shakespeare Unpacked: Act 2
Thursday April 24 10.45am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Barefoot Bowls and Read Out Loud: Our speakers read and recite some of their favourite passages, poems, speeches and soliloquies
Friday April 25 5.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Who’s Better: Bach or Mozart - and other ridiculous musical provocations
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Michael Veitch

How A Faraway Place Inspired My Story: Exploring the importance of setting
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Gallipoli 110 Years On: What does this controversial military campaign tell us about ourselves and our current world?
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Your Life, My Words: The art of telling someone else’s story
Friday April 25 4.00pm
The Continental
World War Fiction: For novelists, It’s an ongoing rich and dramatic landscape
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Words & Music Act 2: Countdown, 50 Years
Saturday April 26 6.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Michelle de Kretser

In Conversation: Michelle de Kretser
Friday April 25 1.00pm
The Continental
Sometimes My Imagination Just Runs Away…
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Outside The Box: Why our writers like to experiment and play with form
Saturday April 26 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Mim Bartlett

The DEI Dilemma: How corporate Australia might handle the backlash
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Nadine Ingram

From Lamingtons to Legacy: AWW’s Culinary Influence
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
The Art Of The Cookbook
Sunday April 27 9.15am
The Continental

Nardi Simpson

My Australian Landscape
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Words & Music Act 1: The Voice in Music
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental

Natasha Lester

From Laptop To International Bestseller
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
World War Fiction: For novelists, It’s an ongoing rich and dramatic landscape
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Natasha Mitchell

The Ghosts Are Here: First Nations perspectives on European explorers
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
What’s Your Agenda, Mark Zuckerberg?: Masculine energy, manarchy culture, and aggression in the workplace
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
2025: The Year The World Goes Nuts: What does our global landscape look like in 2025?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
The Continental

Nick Bryant

The First 100 Days: Donald Trump’s second presidency
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
The Continental
Where To, America? (Or, How Gaga is MAGA?)
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Enter The Strongman: How and why has authoritarianism become popular again?
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
The Continental

Nicole Hayes

65 Years Since Green Eggs and Ham: And other children’s classics we love
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Nina Kenwood

Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Lust, Love and the Whole Courtship Thing: Publishing’s gift that keeps on giving
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Norman Swan

Books v Screens: The Great Parenting Challenge
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Dear Son: Talking about fatherhood, families and raising boys
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Why Are Our Kids Anxious?: And Other Perplexing Parenting Issues
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
It Started With A Dot: Understanding melanoma and other cancer stories
Friday April 25 2.30pm
The Continental
I’m Still Here: Getting to 90 – and knowing you're 90
Saturday April 26 9.00am
The Continental
In Conversation: Richard Scolyer
Sunday April 27 8.00am
The Continental

Paddy Manning

If Rupert Dies, What Next? The Future of News Ltd and the great dynasty crisis
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
From Podcast To Platform: Exploring new ways to tell stories today
Saturday April 26 6.00pm
The Continental
Elon, AI, No Boundaries, No Truth. Where To For The Media?
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
The Continental

Patrick McCaughey

Art Stream (1): In Conversation: Patrick McCaughey
Thursday April 24 8.00am
The Continental

Paul Kelly

The Political Lunch
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
The Baths Sorrento
1975: The Dismissal: The moment Australian politics changed forever
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Community Centre
Our Political Parties: Where to from here?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
The Continental

Paula Fox

It Started With A Dot: Understanding melanoma and other cancer stories
Friday April 25 2.30pm
The Continental

Paulette Whitney

Healing Power of Nature
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Museum
I Grow, I Cook, I Eat: In praise of the veggie patch
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Peter FitzSimons

A Biographer’s Life
Wednesday April 23 3.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
In Conversation: Peter FitzSimons
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Sorrento Community Centre
Gallipoli 110 Years On: What does this controversial military campaign tell us about ourselves and our current world?
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Peter Inge

Simmer Down: The role of civilised conversations in a healthy democracy
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
The Continental

Peter Wilmoth

Words & Music Act 2: Countdown, 50 Years
Saturday April 26 6.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
From Newsroom To Bookshelf
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
All In The Family: Some of fiction’s best plots happen under the one roof
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Between Us: Andrew Rule and John Silvester
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
The Continental

Raeden Richardson

My New Book 1: Three new writers discuss their work practice, their stories, and their lucky break
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Next Gen: Meet our hottest new writers
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Ramona Koval

In Conversation: Anne Summers
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
In Conversation: David Marr
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Rana Hussain

Is Australia a Racist Country?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall
Simmer Down: The role of civilised conversations in a healthy democracy
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
The Continental

Ranald Macdonald

In Conversation: Barry Jones
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
The Continental
Media Moguls, The Old And The New
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Simmer Down: The role of civilised conversations in a healthy democracy
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
The Continental

Rebecca Barnard

Words & Music Act 2: Countdown, 50 Years
Saturday April 26 6.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Red Symons

Words & Music Act 2: Countdown, 50 Years
Saturday April 26 6.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Richard Piper

Shakespeare Unpacked: Act 1
Thursday April 24 9.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Shakespeare Unpacked: Act 2
Thursday April 24 10.45am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Words & Music Act 1: The Voice in Music
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental
Let’s Talk Love: Diving into the heart of fiction
Saturday April 26 6.00pm
The Continental
Breakfast With The Bard: The Political Plays, and what would Shakespeare think about Albo, Dutton and The Donald?
Sunday April 27 8.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club

Richard Scolyer

It Started With A Dot: Understanding melanoma and other cancer stories
Friday April 25 2.30pm
The Continental
In Conversation: Richard Scolyer
Sunday April 27 8.00am
The Continental

Rick Morton

It’s About The Optics, Stupid: Unpacking the 2025 Election
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Inside The Boardroom: Who is running our corporate world and are they up to the job?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Shining Light In Dark Corners: Is investigative journalism an endangered species?
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Writers On Non-Fiction Writing
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Robbie Arnott

In Conversation: Robbie Arnott
Thursday April 24 9.00am
The Continental
My Australian Landscape
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Nature, My Great Escape: Tales of growing, re-wilding and rejuvenating
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Robert Dessaix

In Conversation: Robert Dessaix
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall

Robert Lukins

Ta Da! Introducing, Our New Books
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
All In The Family: Some of fiction’s best plots happen under the one roof
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Rose Donohoe

Our Modern World, In My Book
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Rosemarie Milsom

Sometimes My Imagination Just Runs Away…
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
In Conversation: Kate Grenville
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
The Continental
Between Us: Thomas Mayo and Kerry O’Brien
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
The Continental

Russel Howcroft

The Great Australian Nightmare: Housing in crisis
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Rusty Miller

Smooth Runs The Water: The impact of swimming, surfing, waves and coastlines on my writing
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Portsea RSL

Sally Hepworth

From Laptop To International Bestseller
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Museum
All In The Family: Some of fiction’s best plots happen under the one roof
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Sally Warhaft

It’s About The Optics, Stupid: Unpacking the 2025 Election
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre
How To Handle Europe, and Other Urgent World Issues
Friday April 25 4.00pm
The Continental
Shining Light In Dark Corners: Is investigative journalism an endangered species?
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Where Is All The Big-Picture Thinking? Talking political leadership, visionary policy and new ideas
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
My Life and India: A conversation about the nation, its people and its great diaspora
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Samah Sabawi

Meet My Family: Memoir writers discuss how their own tribe’s story became a good book
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Writers On Writing
Thursday April 24 4.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Migration Stories In The Round: How human journeys impact storytelling
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Museum

Santilla Chingaipe

Your Life, My Words: The art of telling someone else’s story
Friday April 25 4.00pm
The Continental
In Conversation: Geraldine Brooks
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Community Centre
Telling the Truth About Australia’s History
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Writers On Non-Fiction Writing
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Sarah Pound

From Mashed Peas to Smashed Peas: How Australian family food has evolved in 50 years
Saturday April 26 10.30am
The Continental

Sean Kelly

Up Close and Personal: The trials and triumphs of writing biography
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Dear Prime Minister, What Are You Scared Of?: How social media and other technologies are undermining democracies
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Reimagining Australia: How to make this next quarter of the 21st Century really matter
Sunday April 27 10.30am
The Continental

Sean Wilson

I’m Still Here: Getting to 90 – and knowing you're 90
Saturday April 26 9.00am
The Continental
Nothing Personal: How to imagine characters who are not like you (or your mum, or your boss, or your best friend)
Saturday April 26 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Seth Robinson

The Great Gatsby 100 Years On: Is it the great American novel?
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Imagination On Steroids: Speculative fiction, magic realism, fantasy and imaginary worlds in fiction.
Saturday April 26 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Writers On Writing
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Museum

Shaun Grant

Telling Australian Stories Via The Big and Little Screen
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
The Continental
From Podcast To Platform: Exploring new ways to tell stories today
Saturday April 26 6.00pm
The Continental

Shelley Burr

Drinks With The Crime Writers
Thursday April 24 6.00pm
The Continental
Nature, My Great Escape: Tales of growing, re-wilding and rejuvenating
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Bad Guys I Have Known: Murder mysteries and how to write them
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Museum

Simon Holmes a Court

When and Why Did Climate Fall Off The Election Agenda?
Saturday April 26 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall
Are Aussie Men Okay With Women?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Where Is All The Big-Picture Thinking? Talking political leadership, visionary policy and new ideas
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Mother Nature – and Why She Needs Our Help
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Sir Ian Rankin

In Conversation: Sir Ian Rankin
Friday April 25 7.00pm
The Continental

Sophie Gee

The Great Gatsby 100 Years On: Is it the great American novel?
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Breakfast With Jane Austen - On Her 250th Birthday
Saturday April 26 8.00am
The Continental
Lust, Love and the Whole Courtship Thing: Publishing’s gift that keeps on giving
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
Breakfast With The Bard: The Political Plays, and what would Shakespeare think about Albo, Dutton and The Donald?
Sunday April 27 8.00am
Sorrento Bowls Club

Sophie Green

The Good, The Bad And The Seriously Disturbed: How to create memorable characters
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Ellen Grant Hall
Why We Love A Strong Woman Story
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
It Takes A Village: The role of small-town communities in fiction
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Ellen Grant Hall

Stan Grant

Spreading the Word: The role of books in faith
Friday April 25 1.00pm
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Sorrento
In Conversation: Stan Grant
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Between Us: Stan Grant and Marcia Langton
Saturday April 26 10.30am
The Continental

Stephen Lunn

Why Are Our Kids Anxious?: And Other Perplexing Parenting Issues
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Ellen Grant Hall
I’m Still Here: Getting to 90 – and knowing you're 90
Saturday April 26 9.00am
The Continental
Stop Hurting Women: Enough is enough
Sunday April 27 10.30am
The Continental

Steve Perkin

Grey Nomads On Tour: And other reasons to discover Australia
Thursday April 24 1.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
I Talk To The Trees: In praise of nature’s enduring force
Friday April 25 2.30pm
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Sorrento
Drinks With The Sportswriters
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
The Continental

Steve Vizard

Gallipoli 110 Years On: What does this controversial military campaign tell us about ourselves and our current world?
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre
Between Us: Andrew Knight and Steve Vizard
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
The Continental

Tarang Chawla

Stop Hurting Women: Enough is enough
Sunday April 27 10.30am
The Continental

Tasma Walton

The Ghosts Are Here: First Nations perspectives on European explorers
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Why We Love A Strong Woman Story
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club
Come Together: How books can create connections between black and white Australia
Friday April 25 1.00pm
The Continental
When The Past Invades Our Present: Three novelists discuss their style of historical fiction writing
Friday April 25 4.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Theodore Ell

My New Book 1: Three new writers discuss their work practice, their stories, and their lucky break
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
How A Faraway Place Inspired My Story: Exploring the importance of setting
Thursday April 24 12.00pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Thomas Mayo

Dear Son: Talking about fatherhood, families and raising boys
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Come Together: How books can create connections between black and white Australia
Friday April 25 1.00pm
The Continental
Between Us: Thomas Mayo and Kerry O’Brien
Saturday April 26 3.00pm
The Continental
Is Australia a Racist Country?
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Ellen Grant Hall
Telling the Truth About Australia’s History
Sunday April 27 12.00pm
Sorrento Bowls Club

Tim Ayliffe

The Unlikely Hero: From the flawed to the failed to the fluke, these characters give thrillers their spark
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
From Newsroom To Bookshelf
Sunday April 27 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
My New Book 2: Writers discuss their latest novels, and the journey from idea to bookstore
Sunday April 27 10.30am
Sorrento Masonic Centre

Tim Byrne

My New Book 1: Three new writers discuss their work practice, their stories, and their lucky break
Thursday April 24 9.00am
Sorrento Masonic Centre
Bad Guys I Have Known: Murder mysteries and how to write them
Friday April 25 2.30pm
Sorrento Museum
In Conversation: Dervla McTiernan
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Masonic Centre
The Craft of Murder
Sunday April 27 1.30pm
The Continental

Tim L'Estrange

Inside The Boardroom: Who is running our corporate world and are they up to the job?
Saturday April 26 1.30pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Titus O'Reily

Drinks With The Sportswriters
Saturday April 26 4.30pm
The Continental

Tom McIlroy

Art Stream (5): How ‘Blue Poles’ Forever Changed Australia’s Gallery Landscape
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
The Continental
The Whitlam Legacy, 1975: Why Australia was never the same again
Friday April 25 1.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre

Tom Wright

A Biographer’s Life
Wednesday April 23 3.30pm
Sorrento Portsea RSL
The Morning Feed
Thursday April 24 8.00am
The Continental
Does History Repeat?: (And if so, should we be nervous?)
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Bowls Club
The Evening Feed & Drinks With The Journos
Friday April 25 5.30pm
The Continental
The Morning Feed
Saturday April 26 8.00am
The Continental
The Morning Feed
Sunday April 27 8.00am
The Continental
Reimagining Australia: How to make this next quarter of the 21st Century really matter
Sunday April 27 10.30am
The Continental

Vanessa O'Neill

The Greer Effect: A read-through of Vanessa O’Neill’s play-in-progress
Saturday April 26 4.45pm
The Continental

Virginia Trioli

Between Us: Annie Smithers & Virginia Trioli
Thursday April 24 10.30am
Sorrento Community Centre
Art Stream (5): How ‘Blue Poles’ Forever Changed Australia’s Gallery Landscape
Thursday April 24 2.30pm
The Continental
Food As Solace: How cooking helps me through the bad times and the good
Friday April 25 2.30pm
The Continental
In Conversation: Gina Chick
Sunday April 27 3.00pm
Sorrento Community Centre